1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a guitar string tuning device, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a guitar string tuning device which exerts uniform clamping force over a predetermined length of a guitar string in a direction perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the guitar string when clamping the guitar string after inserting it through a slit defined in a tuning peg, thereby preventing the guitar string from easily snapping due to stress concentration.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a guitar which is a kind of stringed musical instrument, has a set of strings, and, by playing the guitar, sounds are produced in association with musical notes of the guitar strings. Because the guitar sound best matches the human voice when compared to other musical instruments, it has been widely popularized throughout the world.
Conventionally, a guitar includes a body which serves as an echo plate, and a guitar neck and an instrument head which are sequentially formed in a direction where guitar strings extend from a bridge of the body.
The guitar neck has a finger board which is formed on an upper surface thereof or is integrally attached thereto. A plurality of frets are mounted to the finger board at places which correspond to respective musical scales. Guitar strings are placed under tension across the plurality of frets and along the guitar neck.
Accordingly, as the guitar strings are fingered at a location of a sound hole which is defined in a soundboard in a state wherein a performer presses guitar strings against the guitar neck at a proper position, vibrations of the guitar strings are transferred to the soundboard, by which air is vibrated to generate musical sound.
The guitar strings vary in their thicknesses and types. One end of each guitar string is fastened to the bridge of the body by a pin, and the other end of the guitar string is fastened to a guitar string tuning device at a place where a tuning peg is positioned.
FIG. 1a is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a conventional guitar string tuning device, illustrating a state wherein a guitar string is inserted through a hole which is defined in a tuning peg; and FIG. 1b is a view similar to FIG. 1a, illustrating another state wherein the guitar string is clamped to the tuning peg.
As shown in FIG. 1a, the guitar string tuning device 10 of the conventional art includes a tuning peg 12 through which a guitar string 8 is inserted such that the guitar string 8 can be integrally rotated with the tuning peg 12, a housing 14 which accommodates the tuning peg 12, a manipulating lever 16 which is provided to rotate the tuning peg 12 accommodated in the housing 14, and clamping means 18 which clamps the guitar string 8 to the tuning peg 12.
The tuning peg 12 has a hole 21 which is defined adjacent to an upper end thereof. The hole 21 extends in a horizontal direction. A tunnel 23 is also defined in the tuning peg 12 in a manner such that it extends in a vertical direction while it is communicated with the hole 21 at an upper end thereof. An internally threaded portion 25 is formed inside a lower end of the tuning peg 12, and a worm wheel 27 is formed outside the lower end of the tuning peg 12.
The housing 14 has a neck portion which extends upward together with the tuning peg 12, and a threaded locking sleeve 29 is locked to an upper end of the housing 14. A lower end of the housing 14 is formed with a chamber in which the worm wheel 27 of the tuning peg 12 is accommodated.
The manipulating lever 16 has a worm which is formed at one end thereof in a manner such that it enters into the chamber of the housing 14 to be meshed with the worm wheel 27 of the tuning peg 12 and a tuning handle 12 which is formed at the other end thereof in a manner such that it can be manipulated to rotate the tuning peg 12.
The clamping means 18 includes a rod member 33 which is fitted into the tunnel 23 defined in the tuning peg 12 and an externally threaded shaft 35 which is threadedly coupled to the internally threaded portion of the tuning peg 12.
Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 1b, when a guitarist or a performer rotates a squeezing knob 37 which is integrally fastened to the externally threaded shaft 35, the externally threaded shaft 35 is threadedly moved upward in an axial direction. By this, as the rod member 33 is biased upward by the externally threaded shaft 35 into the tunnel 23 which is defined in the tuning peg 12, the rod member 33 clamps the guitar string 8 to a wall of the tuning peg 12 which wall defines the hole 21.
However, while the guitar string tuning device of the convention art constructed as mentioned above can clamp the guitar string 8 to the wall of the tuning peg 12 which wall defines the hole 21, the conventional guitar string tuning device suffers from defects in that, since the rod member 33 has a small diameter, stress concentration is generated in the guitar string 8, whereby the likelihood of the guitar string 8 to snap due to its tension is increased.